Professor Joash Amupitan, the newly confirmed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has denied claims linking him to President Bola Tinubu’s legal team at the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC).
Speaking during his Senate screening on Thursday, the 58-year-old professor of law described the rumours as unfounded and clarified that he did not appear in any legal capacity before the tribunal or the Supreme Court on behalf of any presidential candidate.
“I never, I did not appear in the presidential election tribunal and at the Supreme Court,” Prof. Amupitan stated while responding to a question from Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West).
Amupitan also denied representing opposition figures such as Labour Party’s Peter Obi or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the post-election litigation process.
“I was not part of it,” Amupitan told Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who sought clarification regarding his involvement with legal teams for the opposition.
Amupitan explained that he had reviewed the certified true copies of the case files and law reports from the PEPC and Supreme Court to ensure accuracy before appearing before the Senate.
Following over two hours of scrutiny, Amupitan was confirmed by the Senate as the next INEC Chairman, succeeding Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who completed his term earlier this year.
Lawmakers questioned the nominee on how he intended to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system, implement critical reforms, and ensure credible, inclusive elections.
Amupitan, who was nominated by President Tinubu and endorsed by the National Council of State last week, becomes the sixth substantive head of the electoral commission since its formation.
Following the controversial 2023 presidential election, both Atiku and Obi had filed petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu as winner.
Their petitions alleged widespread electoral malpractice, INEC irregularities, and raised constitutional questions regarding Tinubu’s qualifications.
In September 2023, the PEPC dismissed all petitions, and the Supreme Court upheld that verdict a month later, ruling that the appeals lacked merit.
